What took you so long?
by W3asleyismyKING
Summary: Wood and Katie were always best friends and nothing more... no they've started to see eachother in a diffrent light, and things get uncomfortable between the two
1. Back To School

DISCLAIMER: Any name you recognize, I don't own. you know the deal  
  
A/N: when I write I don't normally separate into chapters, I usually write till I think it's finished. stick with me here, I'm gonna try separating my stuff into chapters. lets see how it goes.  
  
  
  
Katie Bell pranced onto Platform 9 ¾ with her parents and her two younger brothers. She kissed her mother on the cheek, and then did the same with her father and approached the scarlet steam engine that she knew so well. It would take her back to Hogwarts for her sixth year. As she gazed up at the Hogwarts Express, she heard two familiar chuckles- Fred and George Weasley.  
  
Fred and George were both around 6 foot 2. They had flaming red hair- as did all the Weasleys- and freckles sprinkled across their cheeks and over the bridge of their noses. It was extremely strange to see the Weasley twins without the mischievous glint in their green eyes. Fred and George were in sixth year with Katie and they were the beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.  
  
The twins grinned at Katie as the approached her.  
  
"Hullo, Katie." Fred smiled.  
  
"Hey Fred, George. How was you holiday?"  
  
"Fabulous." They answered together.  
  
"That's good."  
  
"KAAAAAAAAATIE!!!" Katie turned just in time to see Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, two other good friends of hers, run up and hug her.  
  
"Angie! Lica!" She squealed as she hugged them back.  
  
If you didn't know them, you could mistake Angelina and Alicia for sisters. They were both short- about 5 foot 1, with extremely dark brown hair. They were built the same, except Alicia was slightly chubbier. Angelina had dark brown eyes while Alicia's were such a light blue that they almost appeared gray. Angelina was in sixth year with Katie, Fred and George. But Alicia was only in fifth year. Katie and the other girls were the chasers on the Quidditch team. They had been since third year- Alicia's second.  
  
"Oh my God, Katie. We just saw Cedric! He's been working out this summer!" Alicia giggled.  
  
"Yeah. He looks great! He's really changed his whole appearance." Angelina added.  
  
"Where is he?" Katie asked, stretching her neck to search for the Hufflepuff sixth year.  
  
"I'm right here." A voice said from behind her. She recognized the thick Scottish brogue immediately and turned around to face the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and her best friend in the world.  
  
"Not you Oliver." Katie told him. "We're looking for a HOT guy." As she faced him fully, she did a double take, and began to wonder about trying to take that comment back. The Oliver Wood she knew was tall but skinny and in terrible need of a hair cut. The boy that stood before her was not at all who she remembered. He was slightly taller- about 2 inches- he now stood around 6 foot 4. His dusty brown hair was much shorter, but still stuck out in every direction. He had worked out this summer, it was plain to see. Katie could tell that the chest beneath his robes was no longer flabby and beat up from bludger attacks, but it was firm and ready for a new Quidditch season. His brown eyes stared at her softly and he smiled at her as well. That smile, Katie sighed inwardly, Wood's smile was more than worthy of the Witches Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.  
  
He engulfed her in a strong, friendly hug. Katie felt his biceps flex as he held his best friend close. She pulled out of the warm hug and stumbled onto the train ahead of Wood.  
  
Wood watched as she walked into a cabin, Damn, what happened to Katie this summer? He thought to himself. Katie's never been an ugly broad but I wouldn't have called her hot, at least not until now. Shit, Katie is absolutely gorgeous. He studied her from across the cabin as she talked with Angelina and Alicia. She had grown her light brown hair out and now it fell just past her shoulders and curled loosely at the end. Her figure had slimed out and she had 'grown up' so to speak. She was also taller that the last time they had seen each other. Katie was not closing in on 6 foot, if she wasn't already. Her eyes dark blue eyes were as clear and beautiful as he remembered, and her smile still made his knees weak. Since when has my best friend be so attractive? He asked himself.  
  
"Oi, Wood!" Fred yelled in his ear.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Zoned out a moment. What'd I miss?" He asked.  
  
"Katie, Angie, Lica. The day we all feared has come." George said is a dull voice.  
  
"What day is that?" Angelina asked.  
  
"The day where Wood would rather stare at our Katie then talk Quidditch." Fred informed them. Wood blushed deeply and Katie turned a light pink, but didn't let her chance to hassle Wood slip away.  
  
"Oh Oliver! That's just terrible! Do we need to go get the mediwizards to check up on you? Do you feel alright?" Katie mocked him. She rushed to his sight and felt his head to check to a temperature. She shook her head glumly.  
  
"Hilarious Katie." Wood shook his head and swatted at Katie's hand until she went back to her seat.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
"You all can thank little miss smart ass over here when you do extra time in the pitch." Wood smirked.  
  
"Little Miss Smart Ass?" Fred asked curiously.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's got a kind of nice ring to it. I like it. Little Miss Smart Ass." George repeated it to himself over and over.  
  
"Thanks Oliver. Now I've got another nickname from you. AGAIN!" Katie frowned.  
  
"Remember last years?" Alicia joked.  
  
"Oh God, don't say it Lica." Katie pleaded.  
  
"I won't now. I'll use it to blackmail you." Alicia grinned.  
  
"It's a conspiracy! Oliver! Help me!" Katie looked to him hopefully.  
  
"Sorry Katie. The damage has already been done."  
  
"Some best friend you are." Katie smirked wildly at Wood, who grinned in return.  
  
"They make a cute couple." Alicia smiled as she observed Katie and Wood grin at each other.  
  
"Who?" Fred asked stupidly.  
  
"Katie and Wood." Angelina explained.  
  
"WHAT!" They yelled in unison.  
  
"You two look really cute!" Alicia added.  
  
"Excuse me?" Katie asked.  
  
"You know that you're in love." Angelina smirked.  
  
"Whatever Angie." Katie frowned.  
  
"We're only joking Katie!" Alicia defended.  
  
"Every year we have to hear this." Wood commented.  
  
"Well, every year it's more obvious how in love you two are." Fred continued.  
  
"We are not in love, Fred." Katie snapped. She flopped back into her seat and pulled out a copy of Witches Weekly and immersed herself in it's pages. When she came to the main article, 'Quties (a/n: cuties)in Quidditch', and realized it was mainly about Wood, she threw it on the floor in disgust.  
  
"I'm gonna go find Lee." George said quickly when he caught the evil glare that Katie sent anyone who dared to look at her.  
  
"Me, too." Fred and George scampered out of the cabin.  
  
"Angie, let's go find. ahh. Lauren." Alicia said quickly.  
  
"Fine with me." The two girls followed Fred and George's lead and quickly left.  
  
Wood and Katie sat in the cabin silently, not looking at one another. Wood stared at her out of the corner of his eye as she gazed out the window, watching the countryside fly by. She looked more beautiful than she ever had. She was smiling to herself and her eyes were alight, despite the 'argument' she and Angelina and Alicia had just had. That was nothing new to the three of them though. They had the same argument every year on the way to school. Angelina and Alicia would accuse Katie of being head of heals in love with Wood. Angelina and Alicia would leave for a while and Katie would sit by herself in the cabin until they came back- at which time, they would become their normal sixteen-year old girl selves. They would engulf themselves in heated discussions about the newest 'hotties' at Hogwarts. Some years the ended up in whispers, occasionally looking over at Fred, George and Wood and then laughing hysterically and going back to their conversation. If they were lucky, Katie would feel like singing and indulge them with her beautiful voice.  
  
Wood smiled think of Katie's angelic voice. He had conducted more that one Quidditch practice with Katie singing. At the time it had seriously aggravated him, but looking back on it, he longed to hear her sing again.  
  
Katie looked up to find Wood smiling his cute grin at her. It caught her slightly of guard, but she smiled sweetly at him in return.  
  
"It's really getting old." He finally said.  
  
"I agree. But, it could be the last time you have to deal with it." Katie smiled falsely.  
  
Katie knew that by the end of this school year, Wood would be signed to some major Quidditch team. Then he'd meet some beautiful bitch that would convince him he was in love with her. They'd get married and she'd break his heart and take his money after two months.  
  
Okay, so maybe that was a slight exaggeration. Katie always wished the best for Wood, he deserved the best. Wood and Katie had spent many nights in the Gryffindor common room, talking about Wood's latest crush or current girlfriend. He tended to call each one 'better' than the last. Katie found herself wishing that she was good enough for him. She longed to be the one to sit in his arms in the common room. Little did Katie know, that Wood too had unspoken feelings for Katie. Katie knew everything about Wood. Everything. except his desire for her.  
  
"Katie." Wood said quietly.  
  
"Hmmm?" Katie asked as she dragged her gaze from the window to look at him. She watched him carefully as he nervously fidgeted in his seat. He ran his had through his short hair numerous times and he kept mumbling to himself. She tried to pull his gaze up to meet hers but it was no use. His gaze dropped quickly to the floor every time.  
  
He mumbled something that she couldn't understand. "What?" She asked.  
  
His eyes slowly traveled up her long tan legs and then fell to her stomach and rose up her body until he locked his gaze with hers.  
  
He sighed deeply and opened his mouth and began to speak. "Katie. Katie, I -" 


	2. Toungtied

TO MAH BUDDY SARAH- this chapter would not have even started if you weren't the genius you are! Luv ya chica!  
  
Wood sat, looking into Katie's eyes. He let his gaze slip again and he found himself staring at the floor. He kept stuttering the same words over and over again. Wood stared at his hands and then ran an apprehensive hand through his hair. He glanced quickly at Katie who was staring at him curiously. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to think of how to best say this without the risk of losing her friendship.  
  
"Oliver?" Katie asked softly. Wood's eyes flew open and he stared at her wildly, like she had just canceled the first Quidditch match. Katie was taken by surprise. She jumped a little and her eyes widened, wondering what was so difficult to tell her.  
  
Wood calmed himself down and looked at Katie once more. He reached out and took Katie's soft hand in his own callused one. He rubbed his fingers gently over the back of her hand. He gathered every last nerve he had and took a deep breath. He was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. He looked up in to her blue eyes and exhaled deeply.  
  
"Katie," he began once more, "Katie I -" At that moment he lost every thought in his brain. All he could think about was those eyes. The blue eyes that he'd looked into so many times.  
  
Katie began to get very frustrated. She sighed and leaned her side against the window. He stuttered again. She raised a curious eyebrow and asked, "Oliver? What is it?"  
  
"Oh God Katie. Katie I have to tell you something." Wood spit out.  
  
"Yes," she began slowly, "we've established that, now what is it?" Katie asked, smiling at the worried look on his face.  
  
"I- I- I wanted to tell you that, umm, that I'm going to give everyone a week off before we start practice." Wood sighed aloud but silently cursed himself for not being able to tell her.  
  
"Oh. Alright, well that's wonderful." She sighed. 'I can't believe you thought he was gonna say I love you.' She thought to herself. 'You got your hopes up for nothing, Katie. You know he just thinks of you as Katie. You're his best friend, nothing more. Get used to it.' She pulled her hand out of his grasp and leaned back against the seat and sighed again.  
  
Wood leapt from his seat and left the compartment in a hurry. He walked down the hall, going no place in particular. He was just walking to avoid Katie.  
  
As he walked, he passed Fred and George. They gave him a curious look as they watched his tall form sulk down the hall.  
  
Angelina and Alicia walked into the cabin to find Katie reading.  
  
"Hey Katie- we just saw Wood. What'd you do to him?" Alicia joked.  
  
"Nothing!" Katie cried, all to quickly.  
  
"Nothing?" The other two exchanged looks of confusion, "are you sure?" Katie nodded her head and turned back to her book.  
  
No more than twenty minutes later the train began to slow, announcing their arrival at Hogwarts. Fred and George came back to get their trunks and found the atmosphere was strange and almost sulky. The three normally cheery girls were all siting quietly to themselves.  
  
Katie was the last to change into her robes and after doing so, she returned to her seat until they had stopped. She felt eyes bearing down on her and she glanced up to find Alicia and Angelina both staring at her. Reluctantly, she closed the book and looked up at them.  
  
"What?" Katie asked, rather annoyed.  
  
"We just wanna know what happened." Angelina volunteered.  
  
"Nothing happened. He was just telling me that we are going to have a week off before practice begins." Katie explained.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Right." Angelina said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm serious. That's all he said."  
  
"Okay Katie. Then go talk to him." Alicia urged.  
  
"Fine." Katie stood up and threw her book onto her trunk and walked out of the cabin and was followed by Angelina and Alicia. Katie spotted Wood quickly and walked towards him. As she neared she called out down the hall to him. "Oi, Wood!"  
  
Wood's head perked up but he didn't turn around. He tried to play it off like he didn't hear her. 'If I don't answer, then she won't press it.' He thought to himself. He was very wrong indeed. Katie grew angrier and stormed forward.  
  
"WOOD!" She yelled again. This time he turned around slightly. When he saw the malicious look Katie had on her face he said quickly to her, "Can't talk, sorry. I've got a lot to do." And he hurried off.  
  
Katie stared after him, totally confused. Fred approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Katie, you're gonna have to chase that one."  
  
Katie turned and raised an eyebrow to Fred, "chase him? What's that supposed to mean? Katie didn't want to 'chase' Oliver Wood. They had always been friends. Katie had always been able to turn to him and talk about anything. That is, until today, when he flipped off the handle bars and started his mindless Quidditch prattle about giving everyone a week off before practice.  
  
Katie stared in the direction in which Oliver had hustled off. She turned slowly and found Alicia and Angelina standing in the doorway to the cabin they had occupied.  
  
"What's that all about?" Alicia asked.  
  
"I have absolutely no idea." Katie shook her head slowly and pushed past her two friends, sitting back for the last ten minutes before they arrived at school.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry it took me forever to update. I know this chapter's a little slow going but things should pick up soon. THANKS FOR READING! PLEASSSSE REVIEW!  
  
If you've got ideas for me email me: terpsmedley22@hotmail.com Or IM me on AIM: jeterhoney02, woodyroxmahsox  
  
-Woody 


	3. Do you wanna weave your own tale too?

October came, and with it, came a new Quidditch season. Wood, who was wound up for his final season, came to the sixth year girl's dormitory early one October morning. He knocked on the door.  
  
"Katie, Angelina, Alicia! Let's go. Practice in the pitch. Ten minutes." He hissed through the heavy oak doors.  
  
The girls got up slowly, silently cursing their beloved captain for his maniac Quidditch obsession.  
  
Katie was the first ready. She grabbed her broom and walked through the chilly castle corridors and across the lawn to the Quidditch pitch. She spotted a groggy Harry Potter and a gleaming Oliver Wood in the middle of the pitch.  
  
"Morning, Kates." Wood chirped.  
  
"G'Mornin'" Katie mumbled to the two.  
  
"Come on Kates! Wake up! Aren't you excited?" Wood grinned like a madman.  
  
Katie smiled, "Oliver, I love Quidditch, you know that. But I will NEVER love your early morning practices."  
  
"I agree." Harry piped up. Katie rested her head on Wood's shoulder, waiting for the other chasers and the beaters to saunter onto the pitch.  
  
Eventually, Alicia and Angelina appeared, dragging a tired and yawing pair of red-heads behind them.  
  
"Glad you decided to join us." Wood said, slightly irritated.  
  
"These clowns took forever. George lost his broom." Alicia jerked her thumb and the tow red-heads who were rubbing their eyes behind her.  
  
"Well, not that my team decided to show up, let's get started." Wood urged, the maniac-glint returning to his eyes.  
  
Fred and George whined loudly about being so cold and it being to early in the morning for practice.  
  
"Oh, shut up. Katie, Wood and I've been out here waiting for you for 15 minutes." Harry snapped.  
  
Fred and George gawked at him and one of them mumbled something about Harry not being a morning person. Katie grinned, "Harry, I like you more and more every practice."  
  
Harry smiled back while the Weasley's glared at both she and Harry. Katie turned and threw a quick grin back at the red-headed boys and then mounted her broom and kicked off into the air.  
  
After an hour and a half of flying in the brisk air and catching the Quaffle with ice-cold hands, Wood finally let them finish. The team went into the warm locker room and headed for steamy showers.  
  
Katie turned off the faucet and heard only one shower still on- Oliver's. She wrapped a towel around herself, walked to her locker and pulled on the gray uniform skirt. She heard Wood turn off his shower and grunt as he walked through the locker room.  
  
Katie buttoned up her white shirt and tied the gold and maroon tie around her neck and finally dragged the sweater over her head.  
  
Katie grabbed her socks, shoes and robe and threw her Quidditch gear into her locker. She walked around to Wood's locker and found him sitting in front of his lover, black pans and his white shirt open, tie thrown over his shoulder.  
  
"Ol?" Katie sat down next to him.  
  
He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "What am I going to do with those to Weasleys Kate?"  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked, pulling on one sock and unrolling it to her knee.  
  
"I mean, Angelina and Alicia are so distracted by them. We got very little done at practice today because Fred and George were cracking jokes every two seconds and you and Harry were the only ones doing anything because Angelina and Alicia were to busy laughing at the twins." Wood said grumpily. He stood up and placed the rest of his belongings in his locker before shutting it. Wood turned around and leaned up against his locker, buttoning his shirt slowly.  
  
"It's a phase-or at least I hope it is. They'll either get over their crush and realize how stupid their jokes are, or they'll end up dating them-" Katie stopped as Wood interrupted. "DATING! Like going out? Being a couple?"  
  
'Yes Oliver, dating. I'm glad you're familiar with it. But, as I was saying. Or they'll start dating and THEN realize how stupid the Weasley's jokes are." Katie finished tying her shoe.  
  
"I suppose you're right, Kates. At least, I hope you are." Wood sat back down beside her and it was his turn to rest his head on his best friends shoulder.  
  
"They will, Ol. Don't you worry." Katie patted his knee and rose, "now, o-captain. I'm hungry. So, if you'd hurry up, I'd greatly appreciate it."  
  
Wood smiled up at her and pulled the dull, gray, school sweater over his head. "Let's roll, Bell."  
  
Katie shook her head as the seventeen-year-old boy pranced out of the locker room.  
  
~*~  
  
"KATIE!" Angelina came running into the common room on the Friday evening before the first Quidditch match. Katie looked up as she came rushing in, closely followed by Alicia.  
  
"Katie!" Angelina cried again.  
  
"Angie!" Katie mocked. The two girls sat on either side of Katie on the couch, "what's going on?"  
  
"You left dinner too early." Alicia began.  
  
"Well, go on. What'd I miss this time? Flint snogging a second year?" Katie asked, an amused smiled playing on her face as she set her Transfiguration book on the table.  
  
"Oliver got in a fight." Angelina blurted out.  
  
Katie raised an eyebrow, "what? With who? WHY?"  
  
"Flint." Angelina muttered.  
  
"Why?" Katie asked again. Before they answered, Fred and George came busting into the room, dragging a slightly disgruntled Wood in tow.  
  
Angelina and Alicia jumped up and ran over to the three boys. "George!" Alicia cooed, "what happened?"  
  
"Well, Fred and I were walking out of the Great Hall and we spotted Wood here-" George began, but Katie turned away when she saw Wood slink over to an armchair by the fire.  
  
Katie followed him and sat in the chair opposite his. "Well?" Katie urged after a moment of silence.  
  
"Well, what?" Wood asked, Katie could hear the irritation in his voice. But she couldn't decide if it was because of her, or George's story.  
  
"Come on, Oliver. Tell me what happened."  
  
"Why? So you can weave your own story about what happened so you become the hero." Wood snapped.  
  
Katie stared at him for a moment, gawking. "Oliver- you know I'd never do something like that."  
  
"Yeah, well, I didn't think George would either. For all I know, you'll tell your own story and milk it for all its worth, like he is." Wood said crossly.  
  
Katie stood up and took a long stride so that she was standing before him. She bent down and leaned in on Wood. "I can't believe you Oliver Wood." She growled.  
  
Wood reached up and pushed her back. "Oh, right." He said sarcastically.  
  
Katie spun around and marched up to her dormitory and slammed the door roughly, causing the windows in Gryffindor Tower to rattle. She collapsed on her bed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Some best friend." She muttered. She flopped over on her stomach and threw her head into a pillow and drifted into a dreamless, uneasy sleep.  
  
After sitting in alone by the fire for almost ten minutes, Wood realized his mistake. "Damn." He muttered under his breath. 'I can't stand when she's mad at me. And I just pushed her away.' He thought to himself.  
  
Oliver rose from his chair and climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory and knocked gently on the door. There was no answer and he muttered, "Kates?" With no answer again he cracked the door ajar and peaked in. He looked at the only occupied bed and saw Katie's back, slowly heaving up and down with a the even breaths of sleep. He smiled to himself and shut the door. He turned and found himself face to face with this other two chasers.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Alicia demanded.  
  
Wood didn't answer and pushed past them gently and walked down into the common room and the mounted the stairs to his own dormitory.  
  
Wood woke up the next morning around six and couldn't fall back to sleep. It was Saturday, so breakfast wouldn't be until 8:30 or 9, so he decided to go down to the pitch and get in some early flying.  
  
He entered the pitch and breathed the cool October air. As he made his way to the center of the pitch, he noticed another person on the pitch. A person, they were running. As they neared, Wood saw the swish of a long, brown ponytail and knew who it was.  
  
As Katie ran closer, Wood noticed how much her form had changed since the last year. Wood had only seen Katie in her school or Quidditch robes since the year started, he hadn't seen her in muggle cloths since the end of last Quidditch season. Katie was had never been fat, but her body hadn't been the easiest on the eyes. Wood noticed the curves that seemed to appear since he had last seen her. He admitted to himself, 'Katie looks pretty damn good.'  
  
Katie realized who the character standing in the pitch was from about 200 yards away. She watched as Wood stared at her approaching figure. She slowed herself to a gently jog and arrived at Wood's side.  
  
"Wood." Katie nodded.  
  
"Katie." He nodded in return.  
  
After an awkward silence, Katie spoke up, "See you at breakfast." She turned and waited a second before she started walking.  
  
"Kates?" Wood asked quietly.  
  
Katie turned around quickly, "hmm?"  
  
He hesitated and then said, "yeah, I'll see you at breakfast. Make sure you eat up. We play Slytherin today."  
  
Katie nodded and jogged off to the castle. 'Damn it, Wood. That was your chance to apologize.' Wood thought to himself as he kicked off into the air. 


	4. More than Quidditch

Props to Sarah, who's the bestest in the world for putting up with me and editing this.  
  
~*~  
  
Wood made his way back up to the castle after a refreshing ride. He walked into the Great Hall and noticed his team sitting together and sat down next to George.  
  
"Eat up. Big game today." Wood instructed.  
  
"We know Oliver." Alicia said.  
  
"But this is-"  
  
"Your last year to win the cup. Blahdy blahdy blah." Fred said sarcastically.  
  
Wood glared at him and then looked at his chasers. "Girls. I need you to be careful. Flint will be terrible on you three today."  
  
"Alright." Alicia and Angelina smiled.  
  
"I think we can handle it, Wood." Katie muttered.  
  
"What was that, Bell?" Wood growled.  
  
"Oh nothing." Katie chirped in false cheerfulness. She ate a last bit of toast and stood up. Facing Angelina and Alicia she said to them, "see you in the locker room." With that, she walked out of the Great Hall and started up to Gryffindor Tower, looking forward to some time alone.  
  
She got to the common room and sat down by the fireplace. Humming to herself, she finished her Potions paper and placed it back inside her textbook. She felt another presence in the room and figured it was Nearly Headless Nick, the resident Gryffindor ghost. Katie turned to say hello to the kind old ghost.  
  
She soon wished she hadn't turned around. She found herself face to face with Wood. She grumbled and turned back around, mumbling, "what do you want?"  
  
"Kates. Come on. I can't have my best chaser mad at me during one of our biggest matches of the year." Wood pleaded.  
  
"Oh, okay Wood. I'll just forget that you were an ass to me last night and pretend like I wasn't offended when you didn't trust telling your BEST FRIEND about the fight you got into." Katie said hotly. Turning her back on him and sitting down in the armchair.  
  
"Katesie." Wood pleaded. Katie noted to herself the use of his nickname he had given her in her second year. Katie would never let anyone call her that except Wood. George had tried and the consequence hadn't been pretty. Wood knelt on the ground before Katie and tried to catch her eye. She looked away.  
  
"Come on, Katesie. You're my best friend. I hate it when you're mad at me." He pleaded again.  
  
"Well then Oliver, why don't you tell me why you got into a fight with Flint yesterday." Katie looked down into the brown eyes she'd stared into so many times.  
  
"Well. Kates, see." Wood hesitated and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Katie I-"  
  
"Seems as if we've been here before Oliver. What is so terribly hard about the reason you got into a fight?" Katie asked.  
  
Wood blushed lightly. "It's kind of embarrassing."  
  
"So? I know everything about you Ol, it can't be that bad."  
  
"You don't know one thing about me." Wood muttered.  
  
"What? What don't I know?" Katie urged.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Katie grinned, "Who is she?"  
  
"No one." Wood was now roughly the color of his Quidditch robes.  
  
"Oliver." Katie pleaded. "It's not like I'd tell."  
  
"I know. I just don't want you to know." Wood said.  
  
Katie was now grinning maliciously. "Has little Ollie got a crush on one of his chasers?" Katie snickered.  
  
"NO!" Wood snapped, to quickly, making it painfully obvious how truthful that statement was.  
  
"No worries Ol." Katie smiled. "I don't know which one it is, so it's not like I could tell."  
  
Wood huffed, "Still Kates. I didn't want you to find out."  
  
Katie smirked. "Come on O-Love-sick captain of mine. Lets get you down to the pitch where you're more comfortable." She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the portrait hole and down the drafty corridor to the Entrance Hall and finally across the lawn to the locker rooms of the Quidditch Pitch.  
  
Once inside the warm locker room Katie dropped her grip on Woods arm and wound her way to her own locker. Dropping onto the bench between Angelina and Alicia, Katie pulled off her shoes and let her friends chatter wash over her.  
  
As the team congregated near Wood's locker for his traditional speech, Katie noticed the normal glint was missing from his eyes. She offered him a shy smile, to which he flashed a lopsided grimace, as she sat before him, waiting for him to begin his rant.  
  
"Well." Wood began slowly. "All I can tell you is go out and give it your all. If we give them our best, then we've got them beat easily."  
  
The team sat waiting for him to continue but he turned his back to them and continued strapping on his protective gear.  
  
"That's it?" Fred gasped in wide-eyed astonishment.  
  
Wood turned back around and shrugged, "Yeah, that's it. Go relax before the game."  
  
The team exchanged confused looks and then each scurried off in their own directions before Wood changed his mind and wanted to talk. Katie stayed where she was and looked up at the seventh year.  
  
"Ol?" She asked tentatively, reaching her hand up to his shoulder and turning him around gently.  
  
"Hey Kates." He smiled.  
  
"Oliver, we have 10 minutes before the game. Are you sure you want to let them go so quickly? Especially the Weasleys." Katie questioned.  
  
"They're fine Katie." Wood stated.  
  
"Are you sure?" Katie looked at him, slightly confused. "Well, of course I'm sure." Wood snapped. Katie took a step back and sat down on the bench.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Katie requested.  
  
"Nothing, Bell." He snarled at her.  
  
"Oliver Andrew Wood. I can read you like a book. What's wrong with you? Why did you get into that fight?" Katie stood up again and charged at him.  
  
"Bell, it's none of your business."  
  
"Why not? Why can't you tell me what happened? I'm supposed to be your best friend." Katie huffed.  
  
"Well maybe you aren't!" Wood shouted. Katie backed away, a hurt look in her eyes. "Well." she murmured, "if that's how you feel. Then I'll just leave you alone." Katie looked at him sadly, tears welling in her eyes and then turned and walked over to where she heard Angelina and Alicia giggling and the Weasleys.  
  
The two girls noticed right away that Katie wasn't alright and jumped to her side. "Katie! What happened?" Alicia cooed.  
  
"Did he hurt you? We'll go get him." Angelina smirked and grabbed Fred and George by the arm and started to drag them towards Wood's locker.  
  
"NO!" Katie tried to yell but it came out in a pathetic sob. She leaned on Alicia and felt herself let go of all control and cry.  
  
"Katie never cries." George muttered to his brother.  
  
"I know. Wood did something really bad to her to make her cry. Especially before a Quidditch match." Fred whispered back.  
  
"Katie, come on. We've got a match." Angelina whispered to her friend.  
  
"I- I know. Go on out. I'll be out in a moment." Katie said softly. She picked herself up and walked over to the basin while her friends slowly filed out of the locker room. Splashing water on her face, she picked up her broom and hustled out after her teammates.  
  
On the pitch, Wood looked around. "Where's Bell?" He growled.  
  
"In the locker room." Angelina spat.  
  
"What the hell is she doing in there?" Wood croaked.  
  
"You should know." Alicia shot.  
  
"How would I know what in the bloody hell she's doing in there." Wood cried.  
  
"You're the reason she's still in there." Fred told him, trying to be gentle.  
  
"ME? Why me?" Wood roared.  
  
"You made the poor girl cry." Alicia fired back.  
  
"I did no such thing." Wood said indignantly.  
  
"I think you did." A gruff voice came from behind the team and they turned to see Marcus Flint sheltering Katie Bell from the rain.  
  
"BELL!" Wood roared. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"  
  
"None of your business." Katie said coolly.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wood asked, the maniac glint in his eyes, but not because of the upcoming Quidditch game.  
  
"You know exactly what I mean. At least, you should." Katie continued.  
  
While her teammates stared blankly at her, Wood blinked once, then twice, and then turned to Flint. "Get away from my chaser."  
  
"Your chaser came to me." Flint said, grinning as he sauntered over to his own team.  
  
"I'll talk to you later." Wood spat at Katie.  
  
"Oh, goodie. I can't wait." Katie said in a monotone. Wood glared at her.  
  
"Mount your brooms." Madame Hooch called. The teams soared into the air and took their positions as she let the balls out onto the pitch.  
  
Katie took position of the Quaffle first and made it halfway down the pitch before Flint caught her. "Hello, Bell." He called as he reached his arm towards her and grabbed for the Quaffle.  
  
Katie passed it off before he could touch it, unfortunately he didn't stop himself from reaching and grabbed hold of Katie's arm, pulling the broom closer to his. She shook him off and raced towards Alicia, who looked to pass to her and did. Katie scored the first goal and listened to the grateful sound of the Gryffindor supporters.  
  
An hour into the game, rain was pouring down and just when everyone had given up hope of the game ending before dark, Harry caught the snitch. The final score was 200-50. Wood had let an unusually large number of goals today.  
  
Fred and George sauntered into the locker room with Harry and cheered loudly when the Slytherin team walked past. The three chasers walked in just behind them, Angelina and Alicia on either side of Katie. They kept glancing back at Wood who was rubbing his shoulder and grumbling to himself.  
  
Katie stepped out of the shower in just a towel to find Angelina and Alicia standing, waiting for her. "You two can go. He's in the shower, he'll be a while yet. We may have won, but he never lets that many goals in." Katie snickered.  
  
"You sure?" Angelina asked.  
  
Katie nodded, "I'll be up soon. Thanks though." The two nodded and walked off across the lawn to the castle doors.  
  
Katie never noticed the remaining shower turn off. She dressed and was buttoning up her white uniform blouse when she felt a shadow fall on across her. She turned around to see Wood standing before her.  
  
"Wood." Katie muttered.  
  
"Bell." He said gruffly in return.  
  
"Can I help you with something?" She asked, when she noticed he hadn't left. She looked up at him. He couldn't seem to meet her gaze. "If not, then I'll just be going." She said, heading for the door.  
  
Wood grabbed her arm. "Wait." He whispered. He turned her around. Katie stared at him. "Yes?"  
  
"What'd you go to Flint for?"  
  
"Why'd you get in a fight with him?"  
  
"I asked you first." Wood said, although Katie didn't miss him blush.  
  
"I don't know. I just wanted somebody to be there for me." Katie shrugged.  
  
"That's no reason."  
  
"Fine. But why'd you fight him?" Katie pressed.  
  
"Um. yes, well, about that."  
  
"Come on Oliver. It can't be that bad. Did he bad-mouth your mom again or something?"  
  
Wood's eyes narrowed at the mention of last years 'run in' with Flint, when Wood caught him talking about his mother. "No, nothing about Mother this year."  
  
"Well then what?" Katie said, exhausted from the Quidditch match and was losing patients quickly. She collapsed on the bench and waited for his answer.  
  
A look crossed his face, and he seemed to be contemplating weather or not to tell her.  
  
"While I'm young Wood." Katie said, very impatient by now. He looked down and bit his lip.  
  
Katie stood up and heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm going back to the castle then." She announced. She looked up at him, shook her head and then turned to the door. Wood vaulted the bench and ran in front of her.  
  
She stood before him, clicking her heals, waiting for him to answer. He never did. He leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers and held her there for a moment. Katie stood in shock, not knowing how to take this sudden change in emotion. Wood pulled away and Katie noticed the tips of his ears were blood red. She bit her lip as she watched him turn and hurry from the locker room and back to the castle for supper. 


	5. Not so much

Sarah- Thank you again for being an awesome editor! You're the best!  
  
A/N: I know that all the Katie/Wood stories seem to have a kiss in the locker room and then somebody running away and I'm sorry for making that last chapter so traditional! I'm trying to work on a twist so that this doesn't turn out to be the normal story. Don't get me wrong- I love Katie and Wood, best ship in my opinion. Anyway, enjoy and keep reviewing please! And thank you to the people who have already reviewed! I appreciate it a lot! Thank ya much!  
  
Also, people seem kinda confused. I'm not really writing from the events from the book. There could be a couple of events that you recognize from the book, but I hate it when people write and don't tell you that they're not going from the book. I dunno why. Don't ask I'm weird like that. But anyhoo, ages are the other thing I don't know if I ever covered. Set in Oliver's 7th year. Since the book only tells that it's Oliver's 7th and Harry's 3rd I assumed other ages. Katie, Angelina and the twins are 6th year and Alicia is in 5th year. If you get confused just send me an email and I'll try to straighten you out! (terpsmedley22@hotmail.com)  
  
Lata! ~Woody  
  
~*~ "Katie!" Katie felt to arms on her shoulders as she was shaken awake. Groggily, she peaked through squinted eyes at the cause of the violent shaking.  
  
"OLIVER!" Katie shot up when she saw his brown eyes peering at her. "What the hell are you doing in the girls dormitory?!" She yelled at him, not caring that it was 6:00 on a Saturday morning.  
  
"Bell. Shut up, you're gonna wake up the others." Wood motioned towards the four other beds in the dormitory.  
  
"Oh, I don't care. If I don't then Angie will when she sees you in here." Katie grumbled.  
  
"Get your lazy arse out of that bed and get going. Be down in the pitch in 10 minutes." Wood commanded.  
  
"Fine oh great captain." Katie muttered under her breath, pushing the covers off her legs and standing up. She stretched her arms high above her head and then collapsed on her bed again. Wood had turned to shake Alicia awake and when he turned back to see Katie curled up in a ball on her bed he growled and yanked the blanket off her.  
  
"Get up." He commanded as he strode towards the door. Katie got up and looked over at Alicia. Alicia smiled sleepily and pulled herself out of bed.  
  
The three chasers arrived on the pitch 15 minutes later.  
  
"You're late." Wood barked.  
  
"According to Weasley time we're early." Katie snapped, looking around and seeing that Wood and Harry were the only one on the pitch, but Harry appeared to be asleep on the moist grass.  
  
"I don't appreciate your attitude Bell."  
  
"Well, WOOD," she spat his name off her tongue in disgust, "I don't appreciate being awoken at 6 on Saturday morning for bloody Quidditch training- in the cold." She added.  
  
"No one forced you to be on the team."  
  
"Shut it, you prat. No one wants to listen to you."  
  
"I'm not a prat. You are." Wood responded.  
  
"Would you grow up?" Katie glared at him.  
  
"I'm not the one with an attitude problem."  
  
"I'm not the one who kissed his best friend in the locker room!" Katie yelled.  
  
Wood's eyes widened and Katie continued to glare at him. Angelina and Alicia both gawked at them.  
  
"YOU DID WHAT!" Katie's fellow chasers cried together.  
  
"I didn't do anything." Wood snapped.  
  
"Katie?" Angelina and Alicia turned to her with a pleading look, asking to be 'clued in' but Katie and Wood were glaring at each other intently.  
  
Katie tore her eyes away from Wood and turned to face the girls. "You heard me."  
  
"What'd you say?" Fred Weasley asked as he sauntered onto the pitch.  
  
"None of you're business Fred." Wood called to them, "now that you and you're brother have decided to grace us with your honorable presence, can we get started before Diggory and his team show up?"  
  
"Ohh! Hufflepuff trains after us!" Angelina squealed.  
  
"Yes, Johnson. Hufflepuff's after us." Wood said impatiently.  
  
"Good. Maybe I'll scoot off early for a little snog session with Diggory. Seems to be the trend, to snog in the locker room with the Quidditch Captains." Angelina suggested.  
  
Katie felt herself blush. "What's that all about?" George asked his twin. Fred shrugged in response.  
  
"Get in the air. Everyone. NOW!" Wood yelled. Katie mounted her broom and was set to kick off when Wood grabbed her. "Everyone except you, Bell."  
  
"Oh, what do you want Oliver." Katie tapped her foot lightly on the soft grass below her feet.  
  
"Why'd you say anything about that night?" Wood demanded, the grip on his arm not loosening.  
  
"I didn't mean to. It just kinda slipped." Katie surrendered.  
  
"Well, don't let anything slip again. You hear me? What if it were Quidditch you had been talking about? What if you were near Flint. or Davies, or Diggory?" Wood released her arm and looked down at her.  
  
"Then I wouldn't be so stupid. Just get over it Oliver. It's not that big of a deal." Katie shrugged and kicked off the ground, soaring into the air with increasing speed.  
  
"You have no idea how big a deal it is, Kates." Wood muttered as he joined his team in the air.  
Katie touched back down between Fred and George at the end of training. She was sore from the intense exercise in the frigid October air. She jogged towards the changing rooms. Once she entered the much- appreciated warmth of the changing rooms, she headed straight for the showers and she heard Angelina and Alicia already in there own.  
  
Katie could hear Alicia humming and Angelina full out singing some muggle song she didn't recognize. Katie laughed lightly and stepped into a steaming shower.  
  
As she stepped out she grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around herself. She sauntered out to her locker and dragged out her 'Saturday cloths'. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and long sleeve tee-shirt from a marathon she ran in muggle America the previous summer. Pushing her hair into a loose ponytail she followed Angelina and Alicia out of the changing room.  
  
"So Katie, what happened in the locker room?" Angelina inquired.  
  
"Oh gosh Ange. I don't really want to talk about it. It was stupid." Katie sighed.  
  
"Why'd he kiss you?" Angelina pressed.  
  
"I don't know Angie."  
  
Angelina sighed and smiled, "okay."  
  
As they walked back up to the castle, they passed Cedric Diggory and some of his teammates.  
  
Katie smiled at Cedric, who flashed his trademark grin to her, "Morning Katie." He called across the lawn.  
  
"Morning." She called back, still smiling at him. He stopped and waved his friends on.  
  
"Go ahead, I'll catch up." Katie told her friends who both nodded in return.  
  
Katie walked over to Cedric. "So Katie," he began, staring into her blue eyes. "Are you going to Hogsmeade today?" He inquired, a hint of a smile tugging at the edges of his lips.  
  
"I was planing to, yes, why?" Katie asked.  
  
"Well, were you going with anyone in particular?"  
  
"Angie, Alicia, the twins and maybe. Wood." Katie added the last name quietly.  
  
"Oh. Okay." Cedric's eyes dropped and Katie caught on.  
  
"Why do you ask, Cedric?" She smiled sweetly.  
  
"I was wondering if you'd care to go with me." Cedric whispered, a slight pink tint appearing in his cheeks.  
  
"Mr. Diggory. Do I detect a blush?" Katie grinned.  
  
He nodded, "That's possible."  
  
"I'd love to go with you Cedric." Katie stated but the added, "that is, if the offer still stands."  
  
"You would?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Well in that case. Could you meet me in the Entrance Hall around, 11? I should be done training by then." Cedric suggested.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Great. See you then." He smiled the trademark grin.  
  
"Can't wait." Katie turned and waltzed back up to the stairs, through the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall. She squeezed in between Angelina and Alicia.  
  
"Did you talk to him?" Alicia asked.  
  
"Who?" Fred asked from across the table.  
  
"Cedric." Katie stated. "And yes, I did."  
  
"And?" Angelina pressured.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ditch you guys in Hogsmeade today." Katie grimaced.  
  
"HE DIDN'T!" Angelina and Alicia screamed.  
  
"Shhh! Yes, he did." Katie urged, glancing around the Hall to see if anyone had heard their outburst.  
  
"KATIE BELL! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" Alicia grinned wildly.  
  
"It's about bloody time." Angelina stated bluntly.  
  
"What?" Katie stared blankly.  
  
"Katie, he's liked you forever. Everyone knows." Angelina smiled.  
  
Katie felt herself blush. "No he hasn't."  
  
"Yes. He has." Alicia agreed.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Angelina flew out of her seat and grabbed Katie's arm. "Come on Leesh. We've got to fix her up."  
  
"What time is he meeting you?" Alicia asked, getting up as well.  
  
"11."  
  
"That's nowhere near enough time! We've got to go now!" Angelina cried.  
  
"Ange, it's 9." Katie explained.  
  
"Bloody hell, let's go." Alicia grabbed her other arm.  
  
Katie looked to the twins to help and the both stared dully back at her. Her fellow chasers dragged her up to the common room and pushed her into their dormitory.  
Around 10:50, the girls had decided that Katie looked amazing. She had been forced into a knee length khaki skirt and a tight maroon sweater. The had brushed her hair out so the natural curls were softly formed around her shoulders. Katie had refused a profound amount of make-up so the had settled for eye liner and mascara and a soft pink shadow with a light pink gloss over her full lips. Katie was extremely tired of the amount of 'fuss' that was going into such a simple thing.  
  
"Am I free yet?" Katie asked.  
  
"Yes ma'am." Angelina and Alicia smiled at their handiwork.  
  
Katie walked slowly down to the common room and spotted all 4 Weasley males, the twins friend, Lee Jordan, Harry and Wood. Angelina and Alicia walked with Katie down the stairs.  
  
Katie saunter over to the corner where the males were gathered with her two friends.  
  
"Like?" Alicia asked, indicating Katie's attire.  
  
The Weasley twins looked up to see Katie and both gave approving grins, Harry and Ron both blushed, Percy smiled and gave a quick, "you look nice, Katie", Lee nodded in agreement and Wood just stared, jaw nearly scraping the floor.  
  
He soon came to his sense.  
  
"You're not going out in public like that are you?" He inquired.  
  
Katie glared, "yes I am, thank you very much."  
  
"That's an embarrassment to Gryffindor."  
  
"And you're not? With out maniac obsessions and mindless muttering?" Katie snapped.  
  
Wood thought nothing of it. "At least I don't go out in skin-tight cloths to attract the attention of APPOSING CAPTAINS."  
  
"Don't be rude Oliver, Katie looks very nice." Percy interjected.  
  
"She does not. She's wearing more make-up then I've ever seen on her in 6 years, she's got on cloths that aren't hers and her hair is down." Wood stated.  
  
"Forget it." Katie yelled.  
  
"Forget what?" Wood asked.  
  
"Our friendship."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have been such a prat the last few weeks. I have trouble believing that I called you my best friend for six bloody years. I was Oliver Wood's best friend. Girls would have killed to have been where I was. Spending everyday with you. Well frankly, at the moment, I wish they had. I spent to long hoping that you'd notice me and that you'd finally fall for me."  
  
Wood stared at her.  
  
"Don't talk to me outside of Quidditch." Katie stated firmly. With that she walked out, her make-up already ruined because she was now crying. She left a very dazed Quidditch captain behind her. 


	6. Close incounter

THANKS SARAH!!!  
  
~*~  
  
Katie stormed down the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She reached the top of the stairs and saw Cedric waiting at the bottom for her, with a group of his friends. She quickly raised a hand to her cheeks and tried to brush the tears away as she continued down the stairs to meet him.  
  
"Ced? Isn't that Katie?" Cody Lawrence, a chaser for the Hufflepuff team, asked Cedric when he noticed her descending the stairs.  
  
Cedric looked up and cracked a smile, "yeah, that's her. See you guys later." Cedric stepped through his friends and approached the bottom stair just as Katie reached it.  
  
"Katie." He smiled at her. She smiled weakly back and he noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. "Is everything alright?" He asked, genuinely worried.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing." She waved it off.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked. She placed a hand on his arm, "Yes, but thank you."  
  
"No problem. Well, shall we Miss Bell?" He held out his arm to her and she wrapped hers through it.  
  
The made their way across the grounds of Hogwarts towards the gates. As the entered the small town of Hogsmeade, they passed Angelina, Alicia, the twins, Lee and Wood. Katie smiled at her fellow chasers and at the red- headed menaces, and their best friend Lee. She didn't even look at Wood. She kept just walking with Cedric.  
  
"Where to, milady?" Cedric glanced sideways at her with a playful grin.  
  
"Hmm." Katie thought allowed. "I don't know. Why don't we pay a visit to the Shrieking Shack?"  
  
"Brilliant idea Katie. To the Shrieking Shack." He pulled her onward towards the end of the street where the rundown building sat.  
  
They approached the old house and Katie shivered, partially because of the brisk October air, and the other reason being that they were standing in what was said to be the most haunted building in all of England. (a/n: I think its all of England.. forgive me if I'm incorrect).  
  
"Cold?" He asked gently. Katie nodded in response and Cedric wrapped a strong arm around her thin shoulders. Katie leaned into him, welcoming his warmth.  
  
After wandering the streets of Hogsmeade, running into friends and stepping into stores, Cedric and Katie were cold and tired. They headed into the Three Broomsticks for some warm Butterbeers.  
  
Katie walked back to the corner of the little pub and found an isolated table. She stat down in one of the two chairs at the table and glanced around the crowded room. She spotted Harry and his friends in the opposite corner, and some other Gryffindor sixth years scattered about at different tables.  
  
"Here you are, Katie." Cedric had worked his way back to her and placed a foaming mug before her. She smiled up at him, "thank you."  
  
"You're welcome." He grinned back. Katie had learned in the few short hours she had spent with him, why girls loved him so much. Not only was he tall and handsome, with his gray-blue eyes and tawny hair, but he was. charming. He was incredibly sweet. He'd held doors open for her and offered his cloak to her when she'd appeared to be cold and insisted on paying at Honeydukes.  
  
Katie heaved a content sigh and looked up to find Cedric looking wistfully back at her. She couldn't help but blush and then proceeded to grin at him.  
  
"Do you think I look bad in this?" Katie blurted out.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Be honest. Does this look. skanky?"  
  
"Skanky?"  
  
"Um, does it look like I'm starving for attention." Katie asked,  
  
"No. Why would you say that? I think you look very nice. It's very tasteful. Especially compared to what some of the girls at school wear." Cedric finished.  
  
"Well thank you." Katie smiled.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, it's just that Wood said. nevermind. I was just curious." Katie shook her head and gulped down the remainder of her Butterbeer.  
  
After the two had finished their Butterbeers, Katie and Cedric began to walk back up to the castle. Halfway back, a dull rain started to fall and intensified, pounding on their backs as they sprinted to the large Oak doors.  
  
Inside the castle, they shook off the droplets of water and looked up at each other. Katie grinned at Cedric, whose hair was plastered to his forehead and his robes were stuck to his well-defined chest.  
  
"Something funny, Katie?" He asked, grinning back at her.  
  
"No, nothing."  
  
"Well, you'd better go change before Wood comes back and starts badgering you about your attire, now that it's soaking." Cedric spoke softly.  
  
Katie looked at him curiously. "How did you know-"  
  
"Wood's a jerk. He'd be likely to say something like that to such a pretty girl." Cedric ended with one of his signature smiles. Katie felt herself bush.  
  
"Well, Cedric. Thank you. I'm going to head back up to the common room now. Thank you for such a great afternoon." She smiled through the blush.  
  
"You're welcome Katie. I'm glad I got to spend some time with you." Cedric stepped forward and wrapped Katie in a soggy hug. Katie laughed and wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back.  
  
He released her and Katie turned towards the stairs, dragging herself away from the handsome sixth year.  
  
~*~  
  
Katie walked into the common room to find that Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George, Lee and to her dismay, Wood were already back and sitting around the fire.  
  
"Katie!" Angelina yelled as she walked into the room.  
  
"Geez Kate. Did you and Cedric decide to go for a swim in the lake?" George asked.  
  
"Oh, yes George! We jumped right in and swam with the squid." Katie chuckled.  
  
"Katie! How was it!" The girls asked her impatiently.  
  
"Awesome. Cedric is so sweet." Katie mused.  
  
"And hot." Alicia added.  
  
Katie grinned and nodded, "and hot." She confirmed.  
  
"You'd better go change." A deep Scottish voice said from the corner of the room. "You'll get sick."  
  
Katie glanced at Wood who sat off to the side. She nodded, "I'm gonna go change. I'll be right back down."  
  
She jogged up the stairs and threw open the door to her dorm. She pealed off the cloak and her cloths and jumped into a warm shower to quickly warm herself up.  
  
She got out and pulled on the same thing she'd been wearing earlier that day- sweatpants and a tee-shirt- and hopped back down the stairs only to collapse by the fire. She opened a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and popped one into her mouth.  
  
"Gross!" Katie sputtered as she spit it out into her hand. She heard the familiar chuckle of her friends laughing at her antics. She laughed at herself and then turned to Alicia who was staring lackadaisically at the ceiling of the common room.  
  
"Leesh? You alright?" Katie asked, rolling over onto her stomach on the couch and looking down at her friend on the floor.  
  
"I was just thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Cedric."  
  
Katie laughed, "Cedric? Why?"  
  
"Imagine. If you went with him, then I'd get to see him everyday!"  
  
Katie laughed heartily at this, "Come off it Leesh! He's not that wonderful."  
  
"Katie! What are you talking about!" Angelina yelled from her spot on the floor between Fred and George. "You're talking about Cedric Diggory. He's like the hottest guy at Hogwarts!"  
  
Katie laughed and sat up, "Is that all you guys see? That he's handsome and fit?"  
  
"Well, um, I've never talked to the boy so I suppose that's all I can judge by." Alicia muttered.  
  
"Not only is he hot, but he's incredibly sweet and very smart and really funny." Katie mused.  
  
Angelina and Alicia both jumped of the floor and sat on either side of Katie as she explained why Cedric was so amazing.  
  
Wood could take it no longer. He stood up and walked past his three giggling chasers and glanced at his beaters. They were both dumbstruck at the topic of conversation.  
  
"When are you three going to grow up." Wood muttered.  
  
The chasers looked up at their captain. "What's that supposed to mean?" Angelina asked.  
  
"Diggory is an opposing captain, and as members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, you shouldn't be. fraternizing with him. It could be dangerous." Wood stated.  
  
"Dangerous? Diggory?" Alicia asked.  
  
"Yes." Wood stated.  
  
"How?" Katie asked.  
  
"You said not to talk to you outside of Quidditch." He muttered.  
  
"Yes I did." Katie nodded, she got up and brushed past him, walking up to her dorm room.  
  
"Wood, are you ever going to apologize to her?" Alicia asked.  
  
"Why would I? She's the one who doesn't want to be friends with me!" Wood gasped.  
  
"I know. But she's upset about what you said." Alicia offered.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It was rude, Wood." Fred piped.  
  
"Katie usually understands when I give her my opinion." Wood shrugged.  
  
"She just wants you to be happy for her." Angelina explained.  
  
"Well." Wood started but then stopped. He mounted the stairs, "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."  
  
A rumble of "G'Night Wood" rumbled through the common room as he walked up the stairs.  
  
Wood crawled into his bed and pulled the hanging shut around him. He curled up on his side and tried to sleep. After twenty minutes he sat up and reached beside his bed and grabbed an old photo album.  
  
Throwing it open on his lap, he flipped through old pictures of himself and his family before Hogwarts and then his eyes landed on a picture of he and Katie standing before the Hogwarts Express in Katie's first year.  
  
Katie and Wood's parents had been friends long before their children were born. All four had been in Gryffindor when they were in school. Their fathers had been close friends on the Quidditch team while their mothers had been the best of friends.  
  
Wood looked back at the picture and saw his second year self with an arm around Katie. They were both grinning and they waved at the camera. He smiled to himself.  
  
Looking through the rest of the pictures he came across numerous pictures of himself and Katie. He smiled each time he saw her grinning face. Laughing occasionally at pictures. Eventually he place the album back where he kept it.  
  
He laid back down but still couldn't sleep. Katie's face swam before him. He missed talking to her. He needed to know how to get her back by his side. He needed his best friend back. He needed his Katie back.  
  
"Mum." He muttered to himself, sitting up again. He nabbed a bit of parchment and a quill and leaned up against the headboard of his bed. He began to compose a letter to his mother. In it, he explained to her what had happened in the locker room, before the match, in the common room before she left with Cedric.  
  
He read over it and folded it up and placed it in an envelope. He quietly crept out of bed and tied the letter to his Eagle Owl's leg. "Take this to Mum." He muttered to the bird, opening the window and watching the bird fly into the distance.  
  
He once more, pulled the hangings around his bed and laid down in his bed. This time, drifting to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Katie awoke the next morning to Alicia and Angelina quietly whispering. She sat up in bed and whipped open the hangings. "What's going on?"  
  
"Seems Mr. Diggory needs some tutoring." Alicia snickered.  
  
"What?" Katie asked, noticing a piece of parchment in Alicia's hand.  
  
"Cedric sent to you." She held the paper out to a sleepy Katie who took it and began to read it  
  
Katie,  
  
Thanks again for an amazing day yesterday. I'm glad I went with you. I'm aware that you are a very good Potions student. I have a paper due for Snape in a week and I was curious if you wouldn't mind helping me write it. You can talk to me at breakfast. Thank you so much!  
  
Cedric  
"Ohhhhhh!" Angelina and Alicia cooed.  
  
"What?" Katie asked.  
  
"Katie's got a study buddy."  
  
"I suppose so. What of it?" Katie inquired as she stood up and pulled out cloths for the day.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Can we come? I'm mediocre at Potions and. well, Angelina's terrible at it but she's alright at Charms." Alicia offered.  
  
"Angie, Leesh. You two are my best friends, but I just don't know." Katie hesitated.  
  
"Fine. Go change so we can go to breakfast. I wanna go with you when you go talk to Mr. Handsome." Alicia barked.  
  
The three girls walked into the Great Hall, as usual, it was very empty at 8:30 on a Sunday. Most people took today to have a lie-in. Katie saw Cedric sitting with his teammates at the Hufflepuff table.  
  
"Good morning." Katie whispered in his ear. He whipped around and grinned when he saw her.  
  
"Katie!" He smiled. She slipped into an empty seat beside him for a moment.  
  
"Did you get my letter?" He asked.  
  
"Yes I did. I'd love to help you." She smiled.  
  
"Oh, Katie, you're a life savor! Snape would have my head if I failed this paper. If you ever need any help in ANYTHING, with the exception of Potions of course, I'll gladly help you." He mused.  
  
"It's no trouble, glad to help. When?"  
  
"Um, what are you doing today? Could we get started today?" He asked.  
  
"Okay, after lunch? In the library?" She suggested.  
  
"Perfect. And thanks again."  
  
Katie rose with a smiled, "See you then."  
  
"Bye Katie. Bye Angelina and Alicia." He called as the walked over to Gryffindor table.  
  
The three girls sat down, all smiles. Katie looked up at Fred and George who merely stared back at the three grinning chasers.  
  
"What's there to grin about?" Fred inquired curiously.  
  
"Cedric knows my name." Alicia muttered.  
  
"I know your name. Do you grin this much when I say bye to you?" George asked.  
  
"Well of course not. You're not Cedric Diggory." Alicia sat flatly.  
  
"What is so wonderful about Diggory?" Fred cried, confused.  
  
Alicia sighed, "Everything. The eyes, the hair. the body." She said with a mystical grin. Katie and Angelina both laughed. The twins looked at each other, confusion plastered clearly between the freckles.  
Katie shoveled her breakfast in and then left by herself to go back up to the common room. As she stepped through the portrait hole, she felt herself knock into another body. She stumbled backwards and felt herself fall onto the cold stone floor. She looked up to see what she had run into, but suddenly wished she hadn't.  
  
She found herself looking into the deep chocolate eyes she had become so familiar with in the past 6 years.  
  
"Sorry Katesie." She heard Wood's thick Scottish accent mutter as he stood up.  
  
Katie looked up at him and couldn't help crack a smile. He was clad in his scarlet Quidditch robes. It was no surprise that Wood was headed to the pitch on a Sunday afternoon. She had to admit the uniform fit him well. He did look very handsome.  
  
She pushed herself up, "It's alright Wood." She mumbled as she brushed off the dust.  
  
She looked up at his tall frame and felt a piece of her caramel brown hair slide into her face, shielding one of her crystal blue eyes from his sight.  
  
Carefully, Wood reached his hand to her face and brushed the strands away from her eyes and tucked it gently behind her ear, smiling softly at her. His hand lingered near her cheek a moment and then fell back to his side.  
  
Katie felt a shy smile creep onto her face. She tore her eyes away from his and looked at the ground. "I'd better go." She muttered, glancing up at him from the corner of her eyes.  
  
His face fell slightly and he walked away without another word to her. 


	7. With a little bit of ROTTEN luck

Thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions to me! I'm going to put them together and see what I come up with!  
  
Also- to any Cedric lovers. I'm sorry I need to make him a little whiney and bratty. I 'heart' Cedric too and I don't like making him a brat but I need to do it so my story works out.  
  
Last thing and then I'll get you to the story. I think I've already cleared this up, but obviously, I'm not following the book. Some events that JK Rowling wrote could appear and I'll give credit where credit is due, but I'm only lightly following the book and creating my own plot. (Or trying to)  
  
Now.. Chapter 7 ~Woody ~*~  
  
It had been two weeks since the day Katie let Wood walk away from her. During History of Magic one rainy afternoon, Katie's mind meandered to that day that seemed so long ago.  
  
Katie turned in her seat beside Angelina and glanced back at Wood. He sat in the back of the room, muttering something to a large piece of parchment- no doubt quidditch plays. He glanced up and caught her eye. She felt a blush reach her cheeks as she snapped her head around and faced forward, trying to block Wood's crooked grin out of her mind.  
  
AT LUNCH that afternoon, Cedric approached the table of chattering Gryffindors and cleared his throat loudly.  
  
"Yes, Cedric?" Katie asked without turning around.  
  
"I was hoping we could meet after supper. I need help with this potion Professor Snape taught us today." He asked.  
  
Katie turned towards to him, "Cedric, I have quidditch tonight. I can't help you tonight. I'm sorry."  
  
Cedric grimaced, "You're going to quidditch over helping me pass a class?"  
  
"Cedric, I don't have the choice. You're a captain, you know the responsibilities of a team." Katie explained.  
  
"Katie! Please, I need your help. What about after your practice." Cedric whined.  
  
"Ced, it won't be until nine or ten that we've finished practice. Plus, we have a match tomorrow morning. I need to sleep." Katie protested.  
  
"Kate. Please help me. I won't ask again." Cedric begged. Katie sighed and nodded, "Fine."  
  
"Great. Thank you so much, darling." He kissed her cheek and hurried back to the Hufflepuff table.  
  
Katie turned back to her food and stared at the plate before her. She slowly poked at the cuisine situated in front of her.  
  
"Wood is going to have your neck if he finds out that you're not only breaking HIS curfew, but the schools. To tutor an 'opposing captain', no less." Angelina admonished.  
  
"Who really gives a hoot if he is your boyfriend," Fred jumped in, "quidditch or your love."  
  
Katie sat silently, staring at her friends in turn. "I've been the one that was ditched for quidditch. I can't do that to anyone." Katie whispered to them, only loud enough so they could hear. She stared down the table at Wood the whole time she spoke. After she finished, she walked silently out of the Great Hall and to her Transfiguration class early.  
  
QUIDDITCH PRACTICE was brutal that night. Katie and her fellow chasers were beaten by the wind as they flew briskly down the pitch, trying to score on Wood.  
  
Despite the valiant efforts of Fred and George, the team still complained about the weather and finally, Wood, tired of sitting in the cold pitch with the wind whipping by him, called practice.  
  
Katie glanced at her watch. It read 9:15. If she hurried, she could make it to the library, help Cedric for until 10 and make it back to the common room before Wood noticed she was gone.  
  
Not bothering to shower, Katie changed quickly into sweatpants and hurried out of the locker room and sprinted into the large castle. She walked into the library and looked around, scanning the room for Cedric. No one was there. Not within view at least. She shrugged, figuring he was sitting in the back so that Madame Prince wouldn't notice that they were in there past curfew.  
  
Katie caught a glimpse of Madame Prince's pile of hair and jumped behind a rather tall bookshelf. Once the women had passed her, she stepped cautiously out into the aisle and made her way to the back of the farthest wall of the library. Still, there was no one there.  
  
'Fine,' Katie thought to herself, 'if he's not going to show then I'd better get back before I get caught.' Katie knew that there would be serious consequences for her if she was caught out of bounds after curfew. She had broken curfew so many times, each time the punishment got worse. Luckily, it had been her own head of house that had caught her then so she went easy on her.  
  
Checking that the coast was clear, Katie slipped into the shadows and made her way as swiftly as possible. She heard footsteps behind here and turned in time to see Steven Calahan, a Slytherin prefect walk up beside her.  
  
"Professor!" He called, grabbing Katie's arm and pulling her out of the alcove she was in. "Professor, I found Bell." He sneered.  
  
Breathing heavily on Katie, Steven muttered, "Professor Snape has been trying to catch you forever. McGonagall always lets you off easily."  
  
"Why would you want me?" Katie spat.  
  
"Oh, who wouldn't want a chance to punish perfect Katie Bell." A cold voice drawled behind her. She didn't have to turn around, she knew she would find Professor Snape behind her. To her surprise, it wasn't Snape. It was.  
  
"Cedric!" She cried, eyes widening.  
  
"Hey Katie," Cedric smiled, "darling." He added, his smiled turned to a sneer.  
  
"What the hells going on?" Katie demanded. She wriggled in Calahan's grip but he only tightened.  
  
"Come now love, you can't expect that I was really failing potions." He drawled, running a hand across her cheek.  
  
"I'm in your bloody class. I know you were failing potions."  
  
Cedric laughed loudly. Then, before her, his handsome blue-gray eyes slipped to a murky green color. Katie gasped, "Oh, no. No, no, no!" She yelled.  
  
Standing where Cedric's chiseled body had stood only moments earlier, was the chunky form of Marcus Flint.  
  
"Didn't you notice Katie? Or was your head in the clouds. Cedric hasn't been the sweet, caring gentleman he was when he took you to Hogsmeade. I sent you that letter. I've been posing as Cedric since your date. Presenting to be stupid at potions. Pretending to be crazy about you." Marcus explained, stroking her hair.  
  
She thought silently about the past two weeks. She could tell a change in Cedric. The Cedric that escorted her to Hogsmeade was sweet and personable. He wouldn't have whine about potions homework- in public or private. If Katie has said no to him, then the real Cedric would have accepted it and found another way to get by.  
  
But the Cedric she had spent the two weeks with was nothing like that. He was bossy and arrogant and rude to her. He didn't let her get a word in and he didn't take no for an answer. She felt like a fool for falling for this Polyjuice Potion trick.  
  
"Don't touch me. What are you talking about? If you've been impersonating Cedric, then where is the real Cedric?" She snarled.  
  
"Forest." Marcus explained nonchalantly.  
  
"What? What do you all want from me thought?"  
  
"Oh, perfect little Katie Bell. Pretty, smart, kind, good athlete. Scratch that, the best chaser in Hogwarts. The only thing you've done wrong was to break curfew. Do you remember that quidditch match, when you paid me a little visit?"  
  
Katie nodded, glaring at him as he continued. "You let a little secret slip that day in your blubbering about Wood. You told me all about that silly little rule breaking. It wasn't even anything serious. I let you whine about Wood and complain about him. Then you made a huge mistake. You told me what would happen if you were caught breaking curfew again. You'd be expelled from the next quidditch match."  
  
Katie's heart fell in her chest. She remembered very well telling him that. She had been so caught up in crying and complaining that she hadn't realized who she was spilling her secrets too.  
  
"Damn it." She muttered. She knew that Calahan had the power to impose punishment on her because he was a prefect.  
  
"So my dearest Katie. I'm afraid you'll have to sit out tomorrow. Owing to the terrible fact that Calahan here, is a prefect. He can punish you." Marcus said in mock sympathy.  
  
"I know. Now get off me." Katie snapped. She pulled her arms from Calahan's grip.  
  
"Katie dear, tell Wood good luck. He'll need it with his best chaser gone." Marcus sneered. Katie snarled and sulked up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
When she walked in, only to be greeted by her quidditch team, minus Wood and Potter, all bombarding her with questions.  
  
"Did Wood catch you?" Fred demanded.  
  
"How was Cedric?" Alicia smiled.  
  
"Did you see anyone else out there?" George asked.  
  
"Katie?" Angelina finally noticed that she hadn't spoken a word to anyone. Her eyes were dull and showed no sign of caring about anything anyone said.  
  
Katie looked up at the sound of her name and say Angelina staring at her. "Katie, are you alright?" Angelina asked.  
  
Katie shook her head. "Wood's gonna kill me." She whispered, not losing eye contact with Angelina.  
  
"Oh, he won't be THAT hard on you. We were only joking earlier." Angelina told her.  
  
"No!" Katie said sternly, shaking her head vigorously. "Wood is really going to kill me."  
  
Angelina, Alicia, Fred and George only stared at her, having no idea what she was on about.  
  
"They caught me." She whispered.  
  
"What? Who caught you?" Fred and George asked together. Alicia and Angelina stared at her.  
  
"Who caught you! If it were McGonagall she wouldn't suspend you from the game. You're too important. It wasn't Snape was it." Alicia let the sentence hang in the air.  
  
"I'm out tomorrow. I can't play. Calahan and Cedric. No. Flint. It was Flint." Katie muttered.  
  
"What are you on about Katie?" Angelina asked.  
  
Without another question, Katie launched into the story, explaining what had happened and who had caught her. When she finished, she looked up at her teammates, hoping for consoling words. She found none.  
  
Fred was the first to speak. He got out of his chair and wrapped her in a hug. Katie cocked an eyebrow at him. "Katie my girl, you've been great. I'm gonna miss you." He said, pecking her cheek. George followed suit, hugging her and kissing her cheek.  
  
"That's not helping!" Angelina yelled at them.  
  
"How am I going to tell Oliver. Not only will he hate me forever but he probably won't ever mutter another word to me." Katie sighed, flopping on the couch and leaning against Alicia.  
  
"So you're going to speak to me outside of quidditch now? Or are you just going to talk about me?" Katie whirled around and came face to face with Wood.  
  
"Oliver!" Katie said in surprise.  
  
"Bell!" Wood mocked, sitting down on the chair across from her. "What is it Bell. Why am I going to hate you forever?" Wood asked a slight grin on his face.  
  
"Well I was down in the library about ten minutes ago. On my way back Steven Calahan saw me out of bounds and out of bed past curfew." Katie began. She looked to Wood to see if he understood yet. "Calahan inflicted punishment on me," She left a long pause, then took a deep breath and said, "regarding the game tomorrow."  
  
"No. You must be kidding Kates. I know I was terrible to you before and I'm sorry, but this just isn't a funny joke." Wood spoke in a rush. He knew, being her captain, what the punishment was if she was caught out again. He knew she wouldn't be able to play in the next match.  
  
Katie stared at the floor; "you'd better start looking for a chaser for tomorrow Oliver." She muttered.  
  
"WHAT!" Wood roared. "PLEASE! You must be joking. Please Katie. I can't find another chaser at 11:30 the night before a match! Offer to do detention for a month or take on extra homework or anything. Please Kates."  
  
"What Oliver. Do you think I wanted this to happen? Do you think I wanted to ride the bench tomorrow? This is the reason other houses have reserve teams Wood." Katie yelled at him.  
  
"Bell! I need you tomorrow! I can't have my star chaser out tomorrow! We can't win without you." Oliver pleaded, stepping towards her.  
  
"Of course, Wood. You need me to win. You don't need me to be happy. You don't need me to be your friend. You just need me to win tomorrow. Then you'll go back to your corner of the common room with your quidditch manual and ignore me for the rest of the term." Katie hollered.  
  
Wood stared at her. "What are you on about?" He asked.  
  
"Wood, when was the last time you said good morning to me at breakfast? When was the last time you spent time with me.or any of us for that matter, just because you felt like it" Katie asked, her voice returning to its normal volume.  
  
"I don't understand Bell." He whispered, his brown eyes blurred with confusion.  
  
"Maybe if you paid attention to something other than quidditch, you'd understand." Katie stormed off to her dormitory. Ignoring her teammates yelling for her to come back. She fell asleep that night with Oliver's voice pounding in her head. 'Bell! I can't have my star chaser out tomorrow. We need you to win.'  
  
~*~ I WAS GIVEN SOME GOOD IDEAS THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY MORE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OR SO. THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT TRIED TO HELP ME!!!  
  
~Woody 


End file.
